Stewart Elected to AACR Board of Directors

Sheila A. Stewart, PhD, associate director for basic science and co-leader of the Mechanisms of Cancer Biology Program at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, has been elected to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Board of Directors.

Stewart, who is also the Gerty Cori Professor and vice chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at WashU Medicine, will be sworn in at the AACR Annual Meeting, April 17–22 in San Diego.

AACR is one of the world’s largest cancer research organizations, with more than 60,000 members in 143 countries and territories. As a board member, Stewart will work with other leaders to oversee the strategic direction, financial health and governance of the organization. Her term continues until 2029.

“I’m honored to serve on the AACR Board of Directors at such a pivotal time for cancer research. Indeed, while there are significant challenges to sustained funding and ensuring the success of the next generation of cancer researchers, our understanding of the processes that drive cancer is providing enormous opportunities for identifying new therapeutic targets. I look forward to working with this extraordinary community to accelerate discoveries that improve patients’ lives,” Stewart said.

“This national leadership role reflects Siteman’s own commitment to shaping the future of cancer care, and together we’re creating the partnerships and scientific momentum that will ultimately benefit patients everywhere.”

As a cancer biologist at Siteman Cancer Center and WashU Medicine, Stewart studies how noncancerous cells, known as stroma, in tumors promote the development of cancer. In particular, she and her lab investigate how age-related changes in the stroma modulate the immune response and affect dormant tumor cells, thus promoting disease. The goal is to identify points of intervention at which the process can be interrupted, thereby preventing or treating cancer.

Learn more about Stewart’s research and lab.

As vice chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at WashU Medicine, she develops strategies and programs to support the professional and personal development of the department’s trainees, as well as to enhance faculty recruitment and professional development.

Stewart earned her bachelor of science degree in microbiology from the University of Minnesota and her PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in cancer biology at the Whitehead Institute at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She joined the WashU Medicine faculty in 2003.